


Never Forget

by thehalflingwhonoonewants



Series: Real World Mass Crossover [1]
Category: Agent Carter (TV), Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (TV), Carmilla (Web Series), Marvel Cinematic Universe, Once Upon a Time (TV), The Inheritance Cycle - Christopher Paolini
Genre: Angst, F/F, F/M, Fluff, Gen, Mostly Cartinelli, Mostly Fluff, OC centric, Teen Pregnancy, attempted suicide tw, family fic, multi chapter fic, no powers au, real world AU
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-10-21
Updated: 2015-10-21
Packaged: 2018-04-27 12:04:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,001
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5047852
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thehalflingwhonoonewants/pseuds/thehalflingwhonoonewants
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Peggy Carter and Steve Rogers adopt a little girl they name Lillith. After Steve loses his life in the Military, Peggy continues to adopt children in need and tries to carry on with her life, much to her daughters dislike as she worries that everyone is forgetting her Dad.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Never Forget

**Author's Note:**

  * For [MickeySam](https://archiveofourown.org/users/MickeySam/gifts).



> This is a complete AU, modern day, No superheroes, no vampires, just people.

“She's all yours, Mr Rogers, Mrs Carter.” The social worker smiled as Peggy lifted the small child, stroking her olive toned cheek as Steve peered over her shoulder just as their new daughter blinked open her hazel, almost golden, eyes and yawned.

“She's perfect.” Steve said quietly, reaching down to run his hand carefully over the top of her head, getting a slightly disgruntled squeak in answer.  
“Hi there Lillith.” He greeted, feeling himself well up at the knowledge that she was all theirs.

~~~

“Your turn, Steve.” Peggy grumbled as Lillith's crying sounded through the baby monitor. Steve rolled out of their bed, padding through to the nursery and lifting Lillith from her cot, cradling her close to his chest.

“Now what's with all this noise, huh?” He asked as he moved to a rocking chair. She was beyond midnight feeds now, so it was rare that she woke them up in the middle of the night anymore. She settled now she was being held, blinking up at Steve from around her thumb.  
“Did you just not want to be alone? I get that, but it's time for sleep, little Elf.” That had become her nickname because they'd noticed that her ears were steadily growing into small points at the tips. Personally, he thought it was entirely adorable. She huffed and nuzzled her face against his chest.  
“Okay, how about I tell you a story?” He leant over and snagged a well worn book from the table near to the chair. It was an old copy of _Alice in Wonderland_. Actually his childhood book, and he took great delight in sharing the tale with his daughter.  
“ _Alice was beginning to get very tired of sitting by her sister on the bank, and of having nothing to do:..._ ”

~~~

“This way Lillith, come this way.” Peggy encouraged, crouching with the video camera, encouraging Lillith to take wobbly steps towards her.  
“Mummy!” Lillith called, wobbling a little before managing another step, her face still a bright grin. Peggy waved to Lillith from behind the camera, still encouraging her forward.

“That's it, my smart girl. Wave to the camera honey.” Peggy urged, knowing that she was going to be sending the tape out to Steve.

“Mummy~!” Lillith repeated excitedly, waving her arms so much that she fell down, her padded bottom making a quiet 'thump' as it made contact with the carpet. Peggy held her breath as Lillith looked confused before she hiccuped and frowned.  
“Down. Boom.” She grumbled, as if sulking, before picking herself up and resuming her wobbly journey towards her mum.

~~~

“Hold the sign up high honey, Daddy's plane will be in soon and we want him to see us.” Peggy encouraged, securing Lillith a little more on her shoulders. Steve had been deployed overseas for eighteen months and both mother and daughter were looking forward to finally having him home.  
Lillith held the sign as high as she could manage, ignoring how it made her little arms hurt.  
Steve had collected his bags and he kept his eye open for Peggy and Lillith. What he hadn't expected to see, was Peggy with Lillith (when had she gotten so _big_?) on her shoulders, Lillith holding a sign high above her head that read _Welcome home Daddy!_

Peggy spotted him right about the same time he saw them, and she lifted Lillith down from her shoulders, pointing Steve out to her.

“Go see Daddy, honey.” She encouraged, setting Lillith down. She took off towards Steve in her fastest run, despite the slight wobbling at the speed.

“Daddy! I missed'u!” Lillith exclaimed as Steve scooped her up into a tight hug, still unable to believe how much she'd grown from the three year old he'd left behind.

“I missed you too, little Elf.” He said, squeezing her gently as Peggy approached at a more reasonable speed, though she was quickly pulled into the hug with Steve's crushing strength.

~~~

“Right, little lady. It's bedtime.” Peggy said, scooping Lillith up from the couch, getting a whine in response.

“But I don't wanna go to bed! Can't I stay up a little longer?” She pleaded and Steve chuckled, standing and plucking Lillith from Peggy's hold.

“Well you _could._ ” He said with a smirk, ignoring Peggy's rather annoyed face.  
“ _OR_ I could read you a bedtime story, which would you rather?” He knew the answer, of course, or he wouldn't have offered the deal.

“Story!” Lillith said instantly and Steve chuckled with a nod.

“Thought so. C'mon little elf, can you remember where we were up to?” He asked as he climbed the stairs with her, leaving Peggy by the couch, shaking her head.

“Tea party with Mad Hatter.” Lillith reminded him as she allowed herself to be tucked into bed, snuggling close her favourite teddy bear.

“Of course! How could I forget?” He lifted the well loved book from her bookcase, finding the right page and sitting himself on the edge of Lilliths bed before starting to read in a calm voice.  
“ _There was a table set out under a tree in front of the house, and the March Hare and the Hatter were having tea at it: a Dormouse was sitting between them, fast asleep, and the other two were using it as a cushion, resting their elbows on it, and talking over its head. `Very uncomfortable for the Dormouse,' thought Alice; `only, as it's asleep, I suppose it doesn't mind.'_ ” Lillith was fast asleep by the end of the page.

~~~

It was three days after Lilliths six birthday, and Steve was back at the airport, ready to be deployed again. A shorter stint this time, only twelve months, and he was thinking of taking retirement soon, but till then he had to keep going away.

“Please don't go!” Lillith begged, her arms wrapped around his legs, her head buried in his stomach. Steve let out a painful sigh, he hated seeing her get so upset at him leaving. He was careful, as he unwound her arms and crouched down to be the same height as his daughter.

“It's not for long this time, little elf. I'll be home before you even really notice I'm gone.” He assured her, tucking a lock of golden brown hair behind her ear.  
“Now, I've got a very important job for you, if you think you can do it for me?” He offered and Lillith nodded, sniffling and wiping her nose on her sleeve.  
“I need you to take care of your Mum while I'm away. She'll need lots of cuddles and taking care of, can I trust you to look after her?” He asked. Lillith looked back at Peggy, who was indeed crying, before back at Steve and nodding firmly.

“I'll look after her for you Daddy, I promise.” Steve grinned, pulling her into another hug.

“Thank you. I'll be checking, when I get home.” He warned playfully, kissing her head before pulling away and standing again, pulling Peggy into a gentle kiss.  
“I'll phone as often as I can.” He promised and she nodded, wiping at her own eyes with a tissue.

“Stay safe.” She urged and he shot her a grin.

“See you when I get home.”

~~~

Lillith was sat up the tree in the front garden when she saw the men approaching the house. She'd been playing Wonderland and had run up the tree in an attempt to escape the Red Queen, but she stopped playing as she watched them ring the doorbell. They looked important, in special suits, like the one her Dad wore for important events with his work. They might be here to say that her Dad was coming home early! She hurried down the tree and reached the door just as Peggy opened it.

“Mrs Carter?” One of the men asked, and Peggy instantly knew why they were there. She felt her heart snap in two, but she couldn't cry, not with Lillith looking up at her with wide and hopeful eyes.

“One moment.” She forced out, crouching down and resting a hand on Lillith's shoulder.  
“Honey, can you go inside and make some juice for our visitors?” She knew that just asking Lillith to go inside wouldn't work, but an important job would be just the thing to get her inside.

“Okay Mum.” Lillith nodded and hurried inside, her chest swelling with pride at the thought of being given something so important to do.  
Once she was sure Lillith was out of earshot, she turned back to the men on her doorstep, swallowing thickly and hoping beyond hope that her initial impression had been wrong.

“Is he...?” She asked, feeling her heart hammer against her ribs. The men looked at each other before nodding and Peggy felt her world crumbling beneath her, her legs buckling and a hand coming to cover her mouth in an attempt to muffle a sob.

“We're very sorry for your loss, Ma'am.” One of the men had crouched, in order to rest a hand on her back, a touch she didn't fight. She breathed weakly, attempting to control herself as she felt the tears streaming down her cheeks, struggling to comprehend the truth she'd been told. He couldn't really be gone, not her Steve! She couldn't believe that she'd never see him again, never hear him laugh or watch him play with Lillith. Oh Lillith, she loved her father, and this was going to destroy her.

“Mum?” Lillith had left the juice on the table and hurried back through when she'd heard Peggy sob.  
“Mum? Mum, what's wrong?” She asked, frowning and hesitating by the door, glancing between her Mum on the floor and the man that stood before her.  
“What did you do to my Mum?” She demanded of the man, listening as Peggy let out another sob. Lillith turned back to her, her own worry mounting.  
“Mummy?” Peggy finally managed to move, sitting up and holding her arms out to Lillith, letting the girl fly at her in a hug.  
“What's wrong?” She asked again as Peggy cradled her very close, sniffling into her hair.

“It's your Dad, honey. He... He's not coming home again.” Lillith frowned, wondering what had happened. Her Dad always come home! He loved them, so he always came home.

“Why not? He said he'd be home soon when we spoke to him yesterday!” Lillith insisted, still not fully grasping what had happened. Peggy couldn't help the weak chuckle at Lillith being so stubborn.

“You know how your Dad works really hard protecting us from the bad guys?” Lillith nodded, still frowning slightly.  
“Well, sometimes the bad guys try and hurt people and your Dad had to step up and stop them. But he got hurt, and... and it means he won't be coming home again.” Lillith sucked on her bottom lip as she thought it through before what had actually happened fully hit her.

“You mean... is he dead?” She asked, hoping that Peggy would tell her she was wrong, that her Dad was just hurt real bad and of course he'd be home once he was better.  
Peggy broke again at her daughters innocent question, pulling her in close and starting to cry.

~~~

“Lillith, how would you feel about having a new sister?” Peggy asked as they sat across from each other in a Diner, Lillith happily chowing down on her salad. Peggy could hardly believe that her eight year old was actually a vegetarian, but she was happy to provide for her.

“How?” Lillith asked as she speared a tomato.

“There's a girl, she's two years older than you, and she needs somewhere new to live. She's had a tough time of it.” Lillith considered it, before nodding.

“Sure, I mean, we should help people where we can, right?” Peggy smiled brightly and nodded.

~~~

Lillith glanced around what had been the guest room before nodding in approval.

“You been interior decorating again, elfling?” Carmilla asked, resting her arm on Lillith's shoulder and peering into the room.

“Shut up, Milla. Our new sister's gonna be here soon, I wanted to make sure her room was still looking okay for her.” Carmilla rolled her eyes. She'd been living with Peggy and Lillith for two years now and Peggy had breached the idea of another adoptee joining their little family. A five year old Russian girl who had been badly treated in her old home.

“Trust me, Lil. She'll be so happy to be here that she won't care what her room looks like.” Carmilla assured the ten year old, slinging her arms around her shoulders and pulling her away and towards the stairs.

“Mum said she didn't speak any English... that's gonna be fun.” Lillith commented as they headed down to the lounge to wait for Peggy to get home.

“We'll cope. We always cope. We coped when I showed up.” Carmilla teased as she flopped into a chair, Lillith seating herself on the edge of the couch.

“You weren't that bad... I mean, other than trying to beat me up within a week.” Lillith teased and Carmilla shrugged.

“I thought you were trying to steal my food. How many times do I have to apologise for that?”

“Till we're old and grey Milla.”

“Don't call me that.”

“Try and stop me!” At that, Carmilla launched herself over to the couch, starting to tickle at Lillith's sides, making her squeal and kick and wriggle.

“Do you give?” Carmilla asked with a smirk, her hands still resting on Lillith's sides, fully prepared to carry on.

“Yes! God, I give, please stop, I can't breathe!” Lillith begged and Carmilla sat up with a chuckle, giving one last poke to her side.  
The front door clicked open and instantly both girls jumped to their feet and Lillith attempted to fix her hair that had ended up mussed during their tickle fight.

“Girls? Come say hello to Natasha.” Peggy called as she lead Natasha into the house. She had been 'Natalia' but the girl herself had said she wanted her name changed, so they'd all settled on Natasha. Lillith hurried through and Carmilla followed behind her at a slower pace.

“Здравствуйте. Hello, it's nice to meet you.” Lillith said, feeling proud that she'd managed to learn the word for Hello in Russian, in an attempt to make the new girl feel more comfortable. Natasha glanced at Lillith, taking in the olive skinned girl with pointed ears, and the dark haired girl behind her, who was leaning against the doorframe. She then glanced up at Peggy and realised, in slight shock, that no one in this house was related by blood. She had a feeling she'd fit right in.

~~~

“Girls, can you come and sit down here, please? I've got something important to tell you!” Peggy shouted up the stairs.  
Natasha was the first to appear, closely followed by Lillith who was brandishing a hairbrush, several bobbles tied around her wrist, half of her head covered in tiny braids. It was Carmilla who was last to appear, rubbing sleep from her eyes, despite it being late in the afternoon.

“What is it?” Nat asked as they sat at the table.

“You girls know Angie, my friend?” Peggy asked, getting nods in response, although Carmilla yawned again and Lillith's focus was mostly on braiding her hair.  
“Well... she's more than my friend. She's my girlfriend.” Peggy waited as her statement seemed to seep in. Natasha beamed and squealed slightly, since she really was very fond of Angie. She brought them cake from her work all the time.

“So... you're gay?” Carmilla asked as Lillith dropped her hair, sucking on her bottom lip as she glanced around the kitchen.

“May I be excused, Mum?” Lillith asked, before Peggy could answer Carmilla's question. Peggy nodded and Lillith stood and left the room.

“The world isn't black and white like that, Carmilla. I am attracted to Angie, but I was married to a man before now.”

“Huh. Whatever. Just don't let me walk in on you, I don't think I could handle that.”

~~~

“I know it's not ideal girls, but it's only for a little while.” Peggy assured Carmilla and Lillith as she helped them move Carmilla's stuff into Lilliths room.

“It's fine, so long as Lil doesn't snore anymore.” Carmilla said with a smirk at her younger sister.

“I have never snored in my life!” Lillith protested, fiddling with one of her earrings. Natasha snorted as she followed behind Peggy with a box.

“I remember a camping trip that says different, Lil.” The youngest of the three reminded her and Lillith groaned.

“C'mon Nat, you're meant to be on my side!” Lillith complained and Peggy sighed.

“If you three could stop bickering and help me move boxes? I've got to go and pick the twins up from their house in a few minutes.”

“Why are we taking them in again?” Carmilla asked as she hoisted up the box filled with her books.

“They're my Nephew's kids, biologically and their parent has some medical condition that they're trying to treat. So their Mum is trying to get someone to take care of them, since she doesn't think she can cope with both a sick partner and five year old twins.” Peggy explained for what felt like the umpteenth time.

“So we're not keeping these ones?” Lillith asked with a frown.

“No, honey. These two will be going home once their parent is better.” Peggy explained and Lillith frowned.

“Awww.” She grumbled and Carmilla rolled her eyes.

“Thank god, I don't think I could stand permanently sharing a room with the elfling.”

“Say that to my face!”

“I just did!”

“Girls!” Peggy broke up the fight before it really had chance to start, shaking her head good naturedly.  
“Moving first, fighting later.” Carmilla rolled her eyes again, moving to grab another box as Lillith grumbled under her breath about being insulted as she headed through into her room to clear some space. Their new houseguests would be here soon.

 

**Author's Note:**

> Kudos and Reviews are always appreciated!


End file.
